BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Saturday, January 1, 1825
Beethoven dictates to Nephew Karl an angry letter to Carl Wilhelm Henning (1784-1867) in Berlin today. In November, 1823, Beethoven had authorized the Berlin Theater to use the Consecration of the House Overture, op.124, for the opening of the new Königstädter Theater there last August 4. Henning was musical director of the theater. Beethoven writes: “With great astonishment, I received word today of a work engraved by Herr Trautwein: Festive Overture by me, from the unpublished original score, arranged for piano four hands by you, which is circulating, even though it was agreed between me and Herr Bethmann [Heinrich Eduard Bethmann (1774-1857), director of the Theater at the time Beethoven made the agreement; he had subsequently been dismissed in March, 1824] that this Overture was not to be the property of the Königstädter Theater in Berlin. Only the full score of the Ruins of Athens with all the dance pieces has been given to this theater, but not the Overture. I some time ago gave this Overture to an honorable publisher, and it is to appear within 14 days, at the latest a month. You see that I am about to be dishonored here, for according to the written agreement with Herr Bethmann, I could never have thought of doing such a thing.” [No such written agreement is extant today, but from conversation book entries at the time it appears that one was entered into.]
“Since the evil has already been partly accomplished, I ask you to do everything in your power to ensure that this four-hand piano reduction is not distributed until I write to you. I give you my word of honor that I will do this, which will not take any longer than necessary. I will try to make this very unpleasant incident as little harmful as possible to both you and to me. You know that I must live solely from the products of my mind; imagine what harm this could cause me.”
“In the conviction that you are showing me affection rather than insults, your most devoted servant, Ludwig van Beethoven.”
Brandenburg Letter 1920; Anderson Letter 1343. The letter, now held by the Berlin Staatsbibliothek (aut.48) is in Karl’s hand, except for the signature. It bears a Vienna postmark. Beethoven was obviously unhappy since he had recently sold the Overture, including two- and four-hand piano arrangements done by Carl Czerny, to the Schott firm in Mainz, and this piracy jeopardized the payment that was due to Brother Johann (to whom Ludwig had given the Overture in payment of debts).
Beethoven was well informed; Tobias Haslinger may have acquired a copy and shown it to Beethoven at their New Year’s celebrations last night. This four-hand piano arrangement had indeed been published in November or early December by Trautwein’s book and music shop in Berlin, bearing the name of “C.W. Henning” as arranger. The title page declares precisely as Beethoven accuses, “aus der ungedruckten Original-Partitur;” that it is, “From the unpublished original score.” Schott does not publish Czerny’s four-hand piano arrangement of the Overture until about July of 1825, possibly in part due to this unscrupulous action by the Berlin theater management. Henning will respond to Beethoven’s letter on January 13.